I was supposed to be relaxing..

EHO Story 📩

I want to share a story from when I was travelling around the Canary Islands.

Picture this. I was sat at a bar, sangria in hand, overlooking the sea and waiting for the sunset. Everything was perfect.

Unfortunately for the bar, I also had a very good view behind the counter.

This was where deli boards and drinks were being lovingly prepared. So there I was, one eye on the sunset and the other behind the bar. I could not help myself.

That is when I noticed the blue chopping board.
The single blue chopping board.

I watched it being used to prepare:

🧀 Cheese boards
🥓 Meat platters
🍓 Fruit for smoothies and sangria
🍅 A tomato salad

All on the same board.

At this point, the blue board had covered more food groups than most menus. I briefly wondered if it was magic.

Now, my sangria was lovely. But I do not have a food allergy or intolerance. And if I did, I probably would not expect my drink garnish to come contaminated with cheese (milk).

A customer with a milk allergy almost certainly would not expect that either.

Sitting there, it struck me just how easily allergen controls can go wrong, or be completely overlooked.

Food Safety Tip ✅

• Use separate equipment, utensils, and prep areas for allergenic and allergen-free foods, whenever possible.
• Shared equipment and utensils must be cleaned properly between uses.
• Keep surfaces clean by regularly removing visible food debris and crumbs.
• Wash hands between each task, especially when switching between allergenic and allergen-free prep.
• Team members need to understand why this matters.

The Serious Lesson

Small shortcuts around allergens can have consequences far bigger than anyone expects. And allergens are often hidden from customers, which is why it is so important that controls actually work behind the scenes.